The Greatest Story Ever Told...So Far

The Greatest Story Ever Told...So Far

The good news about this book is that I read it from cover to cover. The bad news is that I only really understood about 10% of it. There isn't much to show it on the front cover so I have to warn you - this book is about quantum physics. Generally this book follows a time line, beginning with Farraday and Maxwell in the 19th century who discovered electromagnetism and that visible light was just one wavelength of a broad range of electromagnetic radiation that now includes radio waves, x-rays and microwaves. He then follows a list of theoretical physicists, who throughout the 20th century theorized and then discovered, through experimentation, the particles and forces that make up the Standard Model which physicists talk about today. Finally Krauss compares the world of atoms around us to the ice crystals that might appear on a window after a frosty night. Maybe it was a coincidental series of events that caused the protons and neutrons, which make up the atoms of our universe to condense out of the big bang in the way they have. It didn't necessarily need to happen that way and maybe hasn't in other parallel universes. Maybe another event may cause that condensation to disappear, like the frost melting on the window when the sun rises but we are yet to find out about that. The greatest story ever told continues.I will now have to go aside and study some of the concepts broached in this book to understand them better. Then I think I will need to read this book again to wring some more understanding out of it. But for those who want to better understand our universe, this is as about as good as it gets! Peter

Description

In the beginning there was light but more than this, there was gravity. After that, all hell broke loose...This is how the story of the greatest intellectual adventure in history should be introduced - how humanity reached its current understanding of the universe, one that is far removed from the realm of everyday experience. Krauss connects the world we know with the invisible world all around us, which is removed from intuition and direct sensation. He explains our current understanding of nature and the struggle to construct the greatest theoretical edifice ever assembled, the Standard Model of Particle Physics -- and then to understand its implications for our existence. Writing in the critically acclaimed style of A Universe from Nothing, Krauss celebrates the beauty and wonders of the natural world and details our place within it and how this shapes our understanding of it. Krauss makes this story accessible through profiles of the scientists responsible for these advances, and clear explanations of their discoveries. Krauss takes us on a tour of science and the brilliant personalities who shaped it, often against political and religious indoctrination, enduring persecution and ostracism. Krauss creates a captivating blend of research and narrative to invite us into the lives and minds of these figures,creating a landmark work of scientific history.

Author description

Lawrence M. Krauss, Ph.D., is author of the international bestseller, A UNIVERSE FROM NOTHING, as well as THE PHYSICS OF STAR TREK, Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and the Physics Dept, Co-Director of the Cosmology Initiative, and Inaugural Director of the Origins Initiative at Arizona State University. He is an internationally known theoretical physicist with wide research interests, including the interface between elementary particle physics and cosmology, where his studies include the early universe, the nature of dark matter, general relativity and neutrino astrophysics. He has long been involved in issues of science and society and has helped spearhead national efforts to educate the public about science, ensure sound public policy, and defend science against attacks at a variety of levels, including a national effort to defend the teaching of evolution in the public schools. Krauss and Richard Dawkins starred in a film documentary called The Unbelievers, which follows them as they discuss science and reason.